Viktor Le and the Vietnam U23 team set off for Indonesia - Photo: NK
In theory, the number one central midfielder pair of the U23 Vietnam team at the tournament will be Thai Son - Van Truong. But coach Kim Sang Sik still has 3 other excellent central midfielders: Viktor Le, Xuan Bac and Cong Phuong.
Mr. Kim's number 1 choice
It is no coincidence that the Southeast Asian Football Federation (AFF) has included Thai Son and Van Truong in the list of most worth-watching players at the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship. With good expertise and extensive experience, Thai Son and Van Truong are not only a solid support for the midfield but also for the entire Vietnam U23 team in their journey to conquer the third consecutive championship at the tournament.
In coach Kim Sang Sik's 3-4-3 formation, Van Truong can play as a central midfielder or a striker. During the trial phase of finding a central midfielder pair for the Vietnamese team before the ASEAN Cup 2024, Mr. Kim continuously arranged for Van Truong to start with Hung Dung in two friendly matches against Russia and Thailand during the FIFA Days in September 2024.
Similarly, Thai Son replaced Hoang Duc in the friendly match with India during FIFA Days in October 2024. However, Van Truong and Thai Son did not meet expectations. Then Doan Ngoc Tan appeared, becoming Mr. Kim's new discovery at the ASEAN Cup 2024.
Thai Son and Van Truong have both made great strides in their professional development since then to become capable of leading the U23 Vietnam team. Possessing skillful techniques and the ability to pass the ball flexibly, Van Truong can create breakthroughs in attack. In the recent friendly match with U23 Taiwan in Ba Ria - Vung Tau , wearing the captain's armband, Van Truong scored in the 5-0 victory of the U23 Vietnam team.
Unlike Van Truong who leads the game, Thai Son plays the role of "cleaning up" the midfield thanks to his fiery playing style and abundant physical strength. This is a player with a similar playing style to Doan Ngoc Tan, which coach Kim Sang Sik favors. This creates conditions for the attacking midfielders to freely deploy the ball. Thai Son's experience is even more extensive than Van Truong's, having been the number 1 defensive midfielder of coach Philippe Troussier before at U23 and the Vietnam national team.
Can coach Kim Sang Sik help U23 Vietnam defend the Southeast Asian title? - Photo: TTO
Variations in gameplay
During the period of letting Acting Head Coach Dinh Hong Vinh take charge of the team before directly coaching in the past 3 weeks in Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Mr. Kim took the maximum opportunity to experiment with the pillars in the midfield. All of this is to help the U23 Vietnam team have the best tactical plans for each opponent and each time.
In fact, Thai Son - Van Truong is not the number 1 option of coach Kim Sang Sik for the central midfield pair. That is because Viktor Le has also been excellent when tested as a left forward or central midfielder in three training sessions since the beginning of the year. He competes well, is diligent in finishing and has scored.
In the friendly match against U23 Taiwan, Viktor Le, as captain, scored 1 goal in the team's 5-0 victory. Therefore, choosing which position this Vietnamese-Russian player would play to create a change in the playing style made Mr. Kim quite confused.
The two remaining central midfielders, Xuan Bac (PVF-CAND) and Cong Phuong (The Cong - Viettel ), also have their own strengths. Xuan Bac was tested playing central midfield with Viktor Le or Van Truong at the U22 CFA China Team 2025 Friendly Tournament last March and both played well. Meanwhile, 19-year-old talent Cong Phuong also promises to bring surprises at the tournament, having proven his ability to coach Kim Sang Sik.
The two group stage matches against Laos and Cambodia are not a concern for the U23 Vietnam team. The challenge only begins for coach Kim Sang Sik and his team in the knockout round. At that time, the midfield of the U23 Vietnam team will decide the victory or defeat. And only then will we see the real change in coach Kim Sang Sik's playing style.
Vietnam U23 team has arrived in Indonesia
Yesterday morning (July 14), the U23 Vietnam team arrived in Indonesia to prepare for the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship. As soon as they arrived in Jakarta, coach Kim Sang Sik and his team went to the training ground that afternoon to prepare for the tournament. The U23 Vietnam team is in Group B and will meet Laos (July 19) and Cambodia (July 22).
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/giai-u23-dong-nam-a-2025-chon-tuyen-giua-cho-u23-viet-nam-20250715105716413.htm
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